Clutch structure



p 1944. c. GERST 2,358,492

' CLUTCH STRUCTURE Filed July 31, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 'l INVENTOR.

CHRIS EFRST Sept. 19, 1944. c, GERsT 2,358,492

CLUTCH STRUCTURE Filed July 31, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

CHRIS E'RS 7' Mw Q. flr-rl Sept. 19, 1944. c. GERST 2,358,492

CLUTCH STRUCTURE Filed July 31, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. CHRIS BERsT p 1944- c. GERST 2,358,492

' CLUTCH STRUCTURE I Filed July 51, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F'IE- a INVENTOR. CHRIS GE/RS7 Patented Sept. 19, 1944 CLUTCH STRUCTURE Chris Gerst, Dearborn, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Transmission Specialties Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michig an Application July 31, 1942, Serial No. 453,057

6 Claims.

This invention relates in general to clutches and more particularly to friction type clutches useful in transmitting power from an engine or any other source of power to a transmission or power take-off.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a friction type clutch which is particularly suited for extremely high, speeds, will transmit power from an engine or any other source of power to a driven member such as a train of gears etc., and simultaneously permit continuous driving of another clutch or other auxiliary devices such as pumps, instruments etc., all of which for proper performance must rotate continuously with the engine or the source of power.

The two clutch constructions disclosed herein which are similar in their general construction, are designed for co-operation in transmissions in which the direction of rotation must be reversible, such as marine transmissions, tank transmissions, or transmissions to reverse mixers etc., however, this invention is not to be limited to the use of the clutches in pairs, since either one of the two constructions may be used individually for transmitting power from a driving to a driven member.

Another object of thisinvention is the provi sion of friction type clutches which when used together in a forward and reverse transmission will add to the smoothness of the engine, or power source. This is accomplished .by arranging the heavy portions of these clutches as driving members, and the extremely light portions of these clutches as driven members. Such an arrangement is highly important in a reversing transmission, in which case the heavy portion of the clutch is connected to the flywheel of the engine so that the inertia of the continuously revolving heavy clutch member materially contributes to a smooth running of the engine.

This arrangement furthermore avoids transmitting of vibrations or undesirable noisesto a transmission due to the fact that the inertia of the driven members is very low, so that the transmission starts and stops very readily.

A further object of this invention is the provision of friction type clutches with ruggedly constructed and properly positioned toggle mechanism to effect an appreciable increase in the clutch capacity.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of friction type clutches with means effecting positive release of pressure applying mechanism for quick positive disengagement of these clutches.

These objects of the invention are attained by mounting the driving clutch member of a friction type clutch on a drive shaft and the driven clutch member on a tubular driven shaft sleeved upon the drive shaft so that the latter extends outwardly of the tubular shaft and permits a direct connection with other members to be driven thereby.

A still further object of the invention therefore is the provision of improved clutch means of the'type referred to above in which the driven clutch member embodies an axial bore larger than the axial bore of the driving clutch member so as to permit the driving shaft being freely extended through the tubular driven member carrying the driven clutch member.

Still another object of. the invention is the provision of improved clutch means of the type referred to above embodying a single or multiple plate clutch, the plate or plates of which form the driven clutch member and are frictionally and releasably held between shiftable parts of the driving clutch member.

Additional objects and novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts by which the objects in view have been attained will appear and are set forth in detail in'the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate certain practical embodiments of the invention, but it will be apparent as the specification proceeds that the structure may be modified and changed in various ways without departure from the true spirit and broad scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a single plate clutch built in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the clutch shown in Fig. l, the section being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is another cross-sectional view through the clutch shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side-view of the clutch ring which mountsthe shifting fingers for the pressure plate;

Fi 5 is a side view of the cone actuating the shifting fingers;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a somewhat modified form of a single plate clutch built in accordance with the invention;

Fig. '1 is a cross-sectional view through the clutch structure shown in Fig. 6, which ringmounts the shifting fingers for the pressure plate: and

Fig. is a side-view of the cone of the clutch throughstructure shown in Fig. 8, actuating the shifting fingers,

Referring now to the structure shown in Figs. 1 through 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that single plate clutch 2 embodies a drive member 3 and a driven member 4 mounted for frictional and clamping engagement with member 3. For such purpose member 3 includes a clutch plate 5 formed with a splined hub 4, a pressure plate ring 1, slldably and non-rotatably sleeved on hub 4, and a clutch ring I threadedly connected with the threaded portion 8 of the splined hub, which latter engages splined portion it of a clutch shaft Ii. Pressure plate ring I has teeth l2 arranged on its inner edge, and these teeth co-operate with correspondingly shaped teeth l4 on huh I in slidably and non-rotatably coupling said hub with pressure plate ring I, which latter is yieldin'gly forced away from the clutch plate by a plurality of coil springs II arranged between clutch plate I and plate ring 1. Pressure plate ring I further more embodies in its rear face it a ring member ii and a plurality of evenly spaced circular recesses it which co-operate with a spring-pressed plunger-like locking pin it on clutch ring 8 to effectively lock shifting finger supporting clutch ring I in its adjusted position with respect to clutch plate 5.

The pressure plate ring I, when shifted toward clutch plate 4, effects frictional clamping of a molded friction clutch disk 20, which disk is attached to clutch member 4 and in it clamped position effects a coupling between clutch members 3 and 4. v

The pressure plate ring I is shifted toward clutch plate 5 by symmetrically arranged clutch finger assemblies 2|, each of which embodies a pair of rollers 22, 23 rotatably mounted between spaced oppositely arranged finger plates 24. These clutch finger assemblies are pivotally supported by clutch ring 8 which, for such a purpose, is provided with radially arranged, fork-shaped extensions 25. and which supports these assemblies on shafts 26 which are extended through bores 21 in finger plates 24 and supported in other bore 24 in the oppositely arranged ear portions 29 of ex tensions 25.

Actuation of clutch finger assemblies 2| is effected by a shifting cone III which is coupled vwith a throw-out collar 3| by a ball bearing 32 and actuated by a fork 33. This shifting cone is slid; ably mounted on clutch shaft SI and, when shifted toward clutch plate I, engages with its extended rounded jaws 34 the roller 22 of the clutch finger assemblies and eflects tilting of the assemblies and shifting of their rollers 22 outwardly on the inclined surface 35 of the pressure ring member l1 and therewith shifting of pressure plate ring 1 toward clutch disk until the latter is tightly gripped between clutch plate 5 and pressure plate ring I.

' The shifting cone 30 is slidably and non-rotatably coupled with clutch ring 8 by dimensioning jaw members 34 so that. these: members snugly and slidabiy fit between ear portions 2| of exassasoa tensions 2|. which ear portions include guide extensions It to eflect proper cou tsuhftingg cone SI and clutch ring I 5 115::

ring I away from clutch clutch' Ying l mounts a spring-pressed, plunger-like locking pin it which embodies a plunger 38 toward pressure plate the clutch this pin, in adJusted position circular recesses I8 P ssed by a sp 3! ring I. For adi m :hich locks therein y entering into aim 6f.

in the slldably and 13f rotatably supported pressure plate ring 1,1; forcibly shifted out of enga em 11 to free the clutch rin g e t with such a therewith shifting of the clutch ed connection with huh 4. ring 88 and by its thread- When pressure plate its locking pin with a recess I I To avoid excessive extend into recesses 4! contact with shoulders tilting of the assemblies.

of ear portions 28 and by 42 of the recesses limit splined to a tubular shaft 45', so that the shaft hub 48. a pressure plate ring 49 and a clu 50 with shifting finger assemblies 5| actif t et i g a clutch con 52. Driving clutch member 46 is secured by bolts 53 to the flywheel 54 of an engine (not shown) and mounts in its splined hub portion 55 a splined shaft 56 arranged to drive any rotary device, such as another clutch, pump, air compressor, instruments etc. This driving clutch member 46 furthermore is formed with a circumferential flange 51 which slldably mounts pressure plate ring 49 by its teeth 58 co-operating with the toothed edge 58 of pressure plate ring 49. The flange 51 also supports clutch ring 50 which is threadedly connected with saldflange and thus coupled with clutch member 46. A plurality of circular recesses ill in pressure plate ring 4! permit of locking the clutch ring to 1n the permit rotation and tilting of the clutch finger desired adjusted position by a spring-pressed, plunger-like locking pin 6|. Clutch member 46 and pressure plate ring 49 co-operate in frictionally clamping a clutch disk 62 which is directly connected with the driven member 63 of the clutch construction. Such a clamping action is efiected by the shifting finger assemblies which are pivotally mounted on shafts 64 arranged in the ear portions 65 of the flanged portion 66 of clutch ring 50. The shifting finger assemblies 5| are similar to the shifting finger assemblies 2| previously described and actuated by clutch cone 52. This cone, which is slidably extended into the flanged portion 66 of clutch ring 50 and non-rotatably coupled therewith by a key 51 sliding in a key slot 68 in wall 69 of clutch cone 52, mounts in ear portions rollers H. These rollers co-operate with the rollers I2 of the shifting finger assemblies 5| and eifect shifting of the pressure plate ring 49 when cone 52 is shifted toward clutch ring 50 by a fork l3 actuating a throwout collar 14 in turn coupled with the cone by a ball bearing 15. The clutch cone 52 includes in its peripheral wall inclined recesses 16 which co-operate with the rollers 11 of the shifting finger assemblies in releasing these assemblies from their engagement with rollers II and permit of free shifting of the pressure plate ring away from clutch disk 52 by coil springs 18.

The driven clutch member 63 which mounts clutch disk 62 is formed with a splined hub I9,

the splined bore 80 of which is substantially larger than the splined bore in the hub portion 55 of the driving clutch member 46. This arrangement permits the driven clutch member 63 being splined to a tubular shaft 8| and extension of shaft 56 through the bore of the tubular shaft so that driving clutch member 46 and its shaft 56 may be used for rotation of rotary devices independent of the clutch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a clutch a backing plate, a floating clamping plate slidably coupled with said backing plate, and means adapted to shift said clamping plate, said shifting means including clutch finger assemblies, a. ring member lpivotally supporting said assemblies and threadedly connected with said backing plate for adjustment with respect thereto, and a shifting cone member slidably and non-rotatably coupled with said ring member, said shifting cone member having peripheral portions contacting said clutch finger assemblies to efl'ect positive shifting of said assemblies in clutching and clutch releasing operations when said cone member is shifted in opposite direcions.

2. In a clutch a. clutch plate including a hub portion, a floating clamping plate slidably supported by said hub portion, and means adapted to shift said clamping plate toward said clutch :plate, said shifting means including a. ring member threadedly coupled with the hub portion for adjustment with respect thereto, fork-shaped including a ring member threadedly connected with said hub portion for adjustment with respect thereto, fork-shaped supporting means extended from said ring member including guiding extensions, clutch finger assemblies of the dual lever type pivotally mounted in said forkshaped supporting means, and an actuating cone for said clutch finger assemblies adapted to shift same in opposite directions, said actuating means including extended jaw members dimensioned to slidably extend into said fork-shaped supporting means between its guiding extensions to effect a direct driving connection between said ring member and said actuating cone.

4. In a clutch a clutch plate including a hub lpOItiOn, a floating clamping plate slidably supported by said hub portion, and means adapted to shift said clamping plate, said shifting means including a ring member threadedly coupled with the hub portion for adjustment with respect thereto, fork-shaped supporting means on said ring member provided with locking means to secure said ring member in its adjusted position with respect to said floating clamping plate, clutch finger assemblies of the dual lever type pivotally supported in said fork-shaped supporting means, and a shifting cone directly actuating upon said clutch finger assemblies in shifting same in opposite directions, said shifting cone including jaw members extended into said forkshaped supporting means to effect a direct driving connection between said ring member and said shifting cone.

5. A clutch as described in claim 2, wherein said fork-shaped supporting means and said clutch finger assemblies include means adapted 'to limit the shifting of said assemblies in their inoperative positions.

6. A clutch as described in claim 1, wherein said clutch finger assemblies are of the dual lever 

